Lighting fixture



Sept. 13, 1966 D. JACKSON LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Dec. 24,

DONALD L. JACKSON INVEA TOR.

ATTORN Y United States Patent O 3,272,978 LIGHTING FIXTURE Donald L. Jackson, Moundsville, W. Va., assignor to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 333,024 2 Claims. (61. 24078) This invention relates to lighting fixtures and more particularly to structural features thereof which facilitate mounting.

Mounting of a lighting fixture usually involves two essential and basic operations; one is securing the fixture to a supporting structure and the other is connecting the fixture to an electrical power source. In addition, other operations are usually involved, both in assembly and dissassembly.

In mounting a lighting fixture at heights greater than those which are readily accessible from the floor, an electrician is handicapped usually by the lack of available assistance and/or the instability of the scaffold,

ladder or other supporting structure on which he must stand to work. In any case, although the work is not inherently diflicult, it is made quite laborious because of the structural features which characterize most fixtures on the one hand and the working conditions just mentioned on the other hand.

In view of the foregoing, one of the principal objects of this invention is to simplify and facilitate the task of mounting a lighting fixture.

Another object of this invention is to improve the structural interrelationship of fixture components so that the mounting task may be simplified and the operation performed more easily.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture in which the structural components are arranged and related to one another in such a manner that the electrician will not be required to support the weight of the fixture manually while performing tasks which require the use of tools and, conversely, he will not be required to perform tasks which require the use of tools or both hands when lifting the heavy fixture into mounting position.

These and other objects, advantages and features are attained, in accordance with the principles of this invention, by providing a canopy, the lower longitudinal edges of which are inwardly and then outwardly turned to define a pair of inwardly turned channels, and a cooperating trough mounted on the top of a fixture reflector, the upper longitudinal edges of which are outwardly and then downwardly turned to define a pair of outwardly turned channels. The inwardly turned channels of the canopy and the outwardly turned channels of the trough interlock to support the fixture.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, end elevational detail of a canopy-conduit stem assembly.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view in perspective of a lighting fixture and its associated canopy.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end perspective View of the lighting fixture and canopy of FIGURE 2 assembled.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the lighting fixture 1 includes a reflector 3 having a trough 5 mounted on the top thereof. A ballast 7 is mounted in the trough 5. The trough 5 is provided with a pair of outwardly turned channels 9. Cooperating with this assembly is a canopy 11 mounted on an end of a conduit stem 13. The canopy 11 is provided with a pair of inwardly turned channels 12. Wiring 15 extends through the conduit stem 13 and is connected to wiring 17 of the ballast 7 by wire nuts 19, one of which is shown in FIG. 3.

The method of assembly will now be described. Canopy I1 is secured to the conduit stem 13 and wiring I5 is drawn through the conduit stem 13 as shown in FIG. 1. Trough 5 is secured to the top of the reflector 3 and service wiring is drawn therethrough through suitable knockouts provided therefor in the conventional manner not shown. The ballast 7 is mounted in the trough 5. This assembly, i.e., the unit identified by the reference number 1 in FIG. 2, is moved into position with respect to the canopy 11 as shown in FIG. 2 and is then moved longitudinally to position it within and suspended from canopy II with channels 9 interlocking with channels 12 as shown in FIG. 3. With the lighting fixture 1 now firmly and securely supported from the canopy 11, the electrician is now free to work with both hands to effect completion of the wiring connections such as is shown in FIG. 3 for example. Thereafter, the open ends of the canopy 11 and the trough 5 are closed by end plates 29, one of which is shown in FIG. 2. This completes the fixture assembly operation.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the canopy may be mounted by other means than a conduit stem.

What I claim is:

1. A lighting fixture assembly comprising: a reflector; an open-ended trough mounted on the top of said reflector, the upper longitudinal edges of said trough defining channels; a ballast mounted in said trough, said ballast having wiring connected thereto and extending therefrom; and an open-ended canopy, the lower longitudinal edges of which define channels, said first mentioned channels and said second mentioned channels being disposed in interlocking relationship to support said trough from said canopy, and said open-ended trough and said open-ended canopy defining an accessible chamber within which wiring connections may be effected.

2. A lighting fixture assembly comprising: a reflector; an open-ended trough mounted on the top of said reflector, the upper longitudinal edges of said trough defining channels; a ballast mounted in said trough, said ballast having wiring connected thereto, extending therefrom and lying in said trough; an open-ended canopy, the lower longitudinal edges of which define channels, said first mentioned channels and said second mentioned channels being disposed in interlock-ing relationship to support said trough from said canopy; a conduit stem mounted on said canopy; and wiring extending through said conduit stem and into said canopy, said open-ended trough and said open-ended canopy defining an accessible chamber within which wiring connections may be effected.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,492 7/1942 Naysmith 2405 1.11 2,627,014 1/1953 Kolb 24051.1l X 2,932,728 4/1960 Thomas 24051.11 X 2,998,508 8/1961 Bobrick 24073 X 3,085,152 4/1963 Schwartz et al. 2405l.11 3,146,956 9/1964 Schwartz et al. 2409 3,159,352 12/1964 Wakefield et al. 24051.11 3,192,380 6/1965 Eglowstein 240-51.11

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES R. RHODES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A REFLECTOR; AN OPEN-ENDED TROUGH MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF SAID REFLECTOR, THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID TROUGH DEFINING CHANNELS; A BALLAST MOUNTED IN SAID TROUGH, SAID BALLAST HAVING WIRING CONNECTED THERETO AND EXTENDING THEREFROM; AND AN OPEN-ENDED CANOPY, THE LOWER LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF WHICH DEFINE CHANNELS, SAID FIRST MENTIONED CHANNELS 